Brownfields and Economic Development: Case Studies and Concepts in Reclaiming Contaminated Sites

In urban planning, a brownfield is a former industrial or commercial site where environmental contamination hinders development. They exist in almost every community--there is probably one in your neighborhood--and state or federal resources can be used to facilitate assessment, cleanup and reuse.

Drawing on a range of local and international experiences, this collection of essays focuses on cases where citizens, nonprofits, developers, cities, and state and federal agencies overcame challenges and mitigated risks to redevelop brownfields using leading-edge practices and simple innovations. The Covid-19 pandemic and mass civil unrest of 2020 underscores the importance of health and social justice considerations in future development initiatives.

Joaquin Jay Gonzalez III, Ph.D., is vice provost for global affairs as well as chair and professor of public administration at Golden Gate University. He founded GGU's law enforcement and security program and is a San Francisco advocate for the safety and security of Filipino American kids and their families.

Tad McGalliard is the director of research and development at the International City/County Management Association in Washington, DC.

Ignacio Dayrit is the director of programs at the Center for Creative Land Recycling in Berkeley, California, and former redevelopment project manager for the City of Emeryville, California.